R.E.M.
New Adventures In Hi-Fi

Year 1996. After three major global successes and the unfortunate "Monster tour," marked by health issues, R.E.M. released their 11th album. Only 4 of the songs on this work were recorded in a studio, in Seattle. The remaining tracks were all recorded during the tour, in various soundchecks and even in a locker room in Philadelphia! Indeed, the predominant theme of this album is undoubtedly the journey.

In my opinion, this is the true masterpiece of the Athens quartet, without a doubt the most complete and mature work. It is certainly the pinnacle of their distinguished career, as following this gem, whether due to a normal artistic decline, or the traumatic departure of drummer Bill Berry, struck by an aneurysm during the aforementioned tour, or a yield to the allure of commerce (1996 is also the year of the lavish contract renewal with Warner Bros), the band unfortunately would never be the same, and would begin an inexorable descent. However, the result of this work is sensational, truly superlative.

The predominant genre of "New Adventures In Hi-Fi" is undoubtedly rock, in some tracks really hard and powerful, following the path of the previous work. Nevertheless, those wonderful sweet, acoustic moments leaning more towards folk, which were practically absent in "Monster," are recovered. In any case, it is an album where monotony is truly a mystery. Each moment is unique and fascinating. The use of keyboards is substantial, but not at the expense of the guitars. Peter Buck and his instruments remain undisputed protagonists (and in the future, it won't always be so), and he still shows us excellent virtuosity. In addition to the excellent performances by Stipe, Mills, Berry (his swan song), and the auxiliary musicians, there's noteworthy first marginal use of electronics and synthesizers, which would be overused in the years to come, while here they are a pleasant element of embellishment. You can't help but be amazed when reading through the variety of instruments used in this work (internal notes).

"How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us", as the opening, is a slow piano-based song, with a whistle in the background and some guitar and bouzouki interventions. In "The Wake-Up Bomb" it seems the title reflects the content. It's actually a powerful hard rock, with a great blend of electric guitar and organ. The atmosphere calms down with "New Test Leper", an excellent semi-acoustic ballad, with pleasant organ solos. The next "Undertow" is a decidedly dark song, dominated by the distorted guitar, supported by some effects. The fifth track is the famous and romantic ballad "E-Bow The Letter", in which Stipe duets, with great results, with his "muse" (since the age of 15) Patti Smith. Among the instruments used in this track, there's even an electric sitar! "Leave" is another masterpiece of the CD. Very long (over 7 minutes), after an acoustic introduction, it becomes a strong rock, with a constant siren effect in the background. The vocal part is also stunning. It's followed by the compelling punk rock of "Departure", with a spine-chilling guitar start and a build-up to a Mercalli scale tenth degree, with a great vocal overlay in the chorus. "Bittersweet Me" is another sustained rock track, with a commendable riff by Buck in the chorus. In "Be Mine", we face a superb and melancholic electric ballad, with a sweet singing and a nice build-up in the finale. The following "Binky The Doormat" is an energetic song in the same style as "Bittersweet Me". "Zither" is a short, intense and original instrumental electric track.

With "So Fast, So Numb" the adrenaline is back to the stars. One of the best songs, another determined hard rock! Excellent! (I also recommend it in a live version). The next "Low Desert" is perhaps the least convincing of the album. A pleasant electric ballad, but nothing more. The final "Electrolite" is another of the album's flagship pieces. A sweet folk song for piano, drums, and banjo, with a splendid musical interlude that also includes the violin.

In conclusion, it should be said that this gem is UNEXPLAINABLY unrecognized and undervalued by some of the audience and even by the critics (they don't know what they're missing...). Many R.E.M. fans, however, do not hesitate to place it at the top of their preferences for this band, and I am one of them!

EXCEPTIONAL!!!

AntiComunista